So what do you get when you combine the world’s three most popular comic superheroes into one figure?
You get a mess.
If you can’t afford a figure of each, might as well combine ‘em. right?
Let me introduce you to a bootleg figure I like to call Super-Spider-Man.
He’s the best of all your favorite superheroes!
The body of Spider-Man painted as the costume of Superman…
… topped off with the cape of Batman. (It’s red, but I’d recognize that jagged, zig-zag cape pattern anywhere.)
Yikes!
I think he’s actually a bootleg of a bootleg. He’s not a “real” Superman bootleg. He’s a 10″ tall bootleg movie Spider-Man figure that’s been repainted as Superman. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a bootleg of a bootleg. Ha!
So, yeah. He’s freaky enough as it is, but look at this!!
His eyes are crawling up his head. Is this Superman’s new approach to hiding his identity?
Out of curiosity, I decided to put his eyes in their proper place.
I “Photoshopped” ‘em, and I’m not quite sure he looks any better.
So, we’ve established this guy’s a horribly-produced bootleg – complete with the weird hollowed-out arms, scraggly paint job, but he does have one more small surprise.
Did you notice that weird, little button on this guy’s back? It actually activates a little, red LED in his chest.
Awesome! I think this is his bootleg heat-vision! (His eyes relocated, so maybe his heat-vision did too.)
I’m scared to look into the light.
Whew! If the crappiness of this toy doesn’t blind you, at least the LED will. Maybe if you stare at it long enough, you’ll go blind and will never have to see this monstrosity again.
You see these generic-looking super heroes? (The ones that look a lot like Playmobil?) They may look like true knock-offs or bootlegs of your favorite comic characters, but they are in fact a legit toyline from a legit Spanish toy company, Airgam.
“What the hell is Airgam” you may be asking? well, Airgam is a toy company that was established in 1976 and is best known for its miniature figures called Airgam Boys.
The Airgam Boys had various series which included themes such as Space, Romans, Cowboys, Sports, etc. One such category called “Airgam Comics: Super Stars” was released in 1985… which leads us to these guys – The Super Fantastics and Super Diabolics.
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They’re a bunch of guys wearing capes, boots, gloves and what looks to be diapers on the outside of their pants. Not only that, but most of them are carrying guns. Even the good guys. I guess there’s a higher price to pay for crime in Spain – a bullet to the gut.
Looks like the series more or less uses all the same body parts and accessories. They just get different coloration, paint apps and stickers.
Let’s take a closer look at the figures shall we. We’ll start out with the Super Fantastics.
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First of all, what’s up with that name? Ha! Sounds a lot like a bad English translation doesn’t it? It makes them that much more charming I guess. And this type treatment is so funky. Looks like some kind of street graffiti.
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This is a rough bunch of super heroes. You’d think they were over sized, floating heads, arms and torsos hanging out with miniature, heavily-armed little people. It’s a pretty nasty-looking illustration – a weird mishmash up of all the characters piled on top of each other. The characters’ scale is all off, and the characters which appear to be in the background are overlapping characters in the foreground. It loses all sense of this thing being a “montage.”
Super Fantastics
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The Fantastics characters I have to show you today are Stars Man, Bird Man, Red Masker and Captain Laser.
Stars Man
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Stars Man, is pretty much a Captain America ripoff if you ask me. Although, since he’s just a “stars” man, I guess his allegiance is the stars themselves and not necessarily to the United States. He could represent any country that really likes stars… or Astronomy.
Bird Man
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Bird Man seems to be the Batman ripoff. He’s got the big, bat ears… only thing is, he’s bird man. Birds don’t Have big ears like that. Not sure why they did that. They should’ve given him a beak or something.
Red Masker
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Ha! Now we have Red-Masker… which is probably the funniest name in the bunch. If you can’t come up with a good ripoff name for a Spider Man character then you shouldn’t be naming toys. Ha. Why “Red-Masker?” Couldn’t they have done something like “Arachna-Kid” or “Webbed-Wonder?” How’d they come up with the “Red Masker?” I can picture it now:
“Hey Berto… we need a name for this Spider Man-looking guy.”
“Is he wearing a mask?”
“Yeah.”
“What color is it?”
“Red.”
“Why don’t we just call him ‘Red-Mask?’”
“I dunno. Seems too lifeless. It’s not action-oriented enough. No real ‘kick’ to it.”
“Well, how about ‘Red Masker?’ You know, he masks people and stuff.”
“Man. Why didn’t I think of that? The kids are gonna love it!”
(Damn. I went off on a tangent there. Sorry.)
Captain Laser
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Here’s Captain Laser. This guy was obviously inspired by Cyclops from X-Men, but his sci-fi logo style and the word “captain” in his name makes me feel like he’s more of a Buck Rogers, sci-fi, leader kind of guy. Plus, I love how happy he looks. He’s probably the wise-cracking smart ass of the group.
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Oh yeah, and look at this. He may be cracking a smile now, but if you cross him, he’ll laser-blast your ass. What did the innocent people in that sky rise do to deserve the laser-beamed wrath of Captain Laser? Maybe some Super Diabolics were hiding in there.
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Next, we have the Super Diabolics. I’m actually a bit intrigued that these toylines have separate names… unless “Airgam Comics: Super Stars” is considered the toyline’s name. I dunno. Anyway, the same weird English translation thing goes for this toy title too. Love it. The style here is more reminiscent of skateboard graphics or tattoo art or something. So pointy and flamey.
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And look at these guys. They seem a bit more unique/diverse and not so ripped-off (at first glance anyway). This montage suffers from the same weird perception of space between the characters. I like their dark and mysterious setting – surrounded by creepy castles, sharp mountain ranges and monster bats.
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The Diabolics I have to show you today are Dr. Diabolic, Python, Piranha and Spector.
Dr. Diabolic
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First we Have Dr. Diabolic… which basically means this guy is the leader. If you’re team is called the “Super Diabolics,” and you are doctor of Diabolics, then you are definitely the bad-ass leading the bunch. His mask only covers a part of his face for some reason, and it looks like he’s even lost an eye in battle. He kind of reminds me of Mr. Sinister from the X-men.
Python
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Up next we have Python. Which looks like a weird 70s Dracula. I love the little ’stache and stained vampire fangs. If he’s not a weird reptilian vampire, I’d say he’s a retro version of G.I. Joe’s Serpentor.
Piranha
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Here we have Piranha. I think he’s the misunderstood weirdo of the bunch. I’m sure he speaks or acts in some way that any passerby would think he’s “special needs.” He looks pretty cool. Looks like a cross between an alien and a fish man. Good to see he has a trident instead of the guns everyone else seems to love so much.
Spector
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Oh. And my favorite of the bunch – Spector. He’s definitely the scary, mysterious loner who answers to no one. Question: What’s more bad ass than a guy with a skull for a head? How about a guy with a skull head wearing a futuristic leather space suit. What’s cooler than a skull-headed guy wearing a futuristic leather jumpsuit? How about a skull-headed guy wearing a leather jumpsuit toting around a big blaster. This guy has to be an undead space biker. He could’ve been inspired by Ghost Rider.
That’s all the characters for now, but we’re not done yet.
Not only were these little guys cool, but they had huge freaking playsets.
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Here are a couple of playsets that were featured on the back of the packaging. Looks like a city playset with a giant spider web, and a big glowing bad guy along with the castle playset. The castle is kind of wonky and more fantasy-inspired than these comic characters. Just look at these things. Sure they’re just cardboard cutouts, but they seem like they could’ve been pretty fun.
Playsets not cool enough for you? Well, in these pics you can see a lot of these guys had alternative figure versions which came with their own personally-branded vehicles. Looks like they had various airplanes, motorcycles and hovercrafts.
Red Maskermobile
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I happened to get my hands on this Red Masker-mobile. And boy is it a thing of beauty. Looks like a weird jetski-speedboat-hovercraft or something. Not sure if he flies this thing or sails it.
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Also, notice the Red Masker that came with this vehicle is different than the regular one. This time his eyes are exposed, his costume’s original web patterning has devolved to a generic criss-cross design, and now, he has his name written across his chest (so you won’t confuse him with Spider-Man).
Panther Man and Bad Tiger
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You may’ve noticed a couple of characters from the toy packaging that didn’t get their time in the limelight. I don’t have these figures, but I figured they needed a little mention.
Here we have the Super Fantastics’ Panther Man. He’s basically a Wolverine ripoff. They tried to throw us off a bit w/ that bow, but we know Wolverine when we see him.
And then we have the Super Diabolics’ Bad Tiger. He actually looks pretty nice. Reminds me of a character you’d see in an old Nintendo Pro Wrestling game or something.
Note that they both have an animal theme and the same color scheme. Oddly coincidental.
If you happen to have these figures or know where I can find ‘em, please get in touch with me
And lastly, I wanted to share this vintage Spanish toy commercial for the Airgam Comics: Super Stars. You know they had to be legit if they had their own toy commercial. Enjoy.
Oh man. All I can say is I love these little guys. I’m so glad I discovered them. I never knew anything about them growing up (being the little American kid I was in the 80s). Thank goodness for the internet and my buddy, John, who hooked me up with a lot of these figures. Thanks John!
Oh yes – freaky, little chubby men dressed as some of DC Comics’ most iconic superheroes.
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Superman
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Batman…
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Robin…
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… and Captain Marvel (who some folks call “Shazam”).
No matter how horrible they may be, you have to admit, these characters are immediately recognizable. Is that because they have classic, well-designed costumes?
Nah.
The characters have just been around for so long, their colors and patterns are burned into our brains. You could put a chimpanzee in blue and red pajamas, and I’m sure everyone would say he’s Superchimp. (Even without the logo.)
Anyway, back to my point. These are some ugly-ass toys, but they’re great. It’s their superbly poor production values that make these things so unique and interesting.
I actually picked ‘em up at a toy show several months back. These lil’ guys have no markings at all, but the dealer I bought ‘em from says they’re cake-toppers from the 60s.
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Cake toppers, huh?
I dunno. Seems like a possibility I guess. They do have holes on the bottom for you to conveniently cram a candle up their butts.
How would you feel if you saw these things on your birthday cake? I’d be excited
Superman
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Batman
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Robin
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Captain Marvel
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I have no clue who made these things or even if they’re even official merchandise released by DC Comics.
As I stated early, they are just bizarre, “not-quite-right” 2.25″ versions of some of our favorite superheroes. So what if they are just cheap (actually, they were a tad costly), little pieces of crap. They are fun.
I’m pretty sure any kind of licensed DC Comics cake topper (or any toy for that matter) produced today would be generic and more strictly follow a model sheet or standards guide. It would probably look something like this.
Where’s the fun in that? That guy actually looks kinda like Superman. Lame
On a side note – while researching these cake toppers, I came across some more mini statues that were very, very similar to what I’ve shown you (if not the original versions these pieces were based on).
These Capt. Marvel and Robin toys were actually listed as rubber pencil toppers on Gasoline Alley Antiques website and were made in Hong Kong in 1970. I actually found the Batman figurine in Reis O’Brien’s (of Geek Orthodox fame)About.com’s “Batman collection” article. His is supposedly made in China, and it has a completely different look as well.
My mini superhero cake toppers are hard plastic (maybe even very hard sugar?). They have no markings at all, and they’re painted a lot more haphazardly.
Well, as you’ve seen here before (and I’m sure you’re bound to see again), I have some delightfully horrible Mexican bootlegs to share. (By the way, I hope that Spanish blog entry title is correct. I kind of guessed at it using Babelfish and Google. Who needs to bother learning multiple languages? )
It’s great just seeing some Mexican sculptors’ attempts to create the likenesses of popular comic characters. These guys aren’t just bootlegging Marvel Legends toys, they are making custom sculptures (maybe even something that could be equated to limited edition designer vinyl), and they have their own personalities and unique stories to tell.
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Let me back up for a minute just to give the unknowing readers a quick rundown of what they’re looking at.
(I threw in the Jack Kirby / Rob Liefeld drawing comparison just so the comic geeks out there can vomit ever-so-slightly. Well actually, that’ll make anyone vomit.)
I’m not sure if you all know of this character.
The Thing is a member of the Fantastic Four – a group of scientist buddies that went into space, got zapped by cosmic rays and ended up a mutated bunch of freaks. Scientist, Ben Grimm (The Thing), turned into a big orange rock guy. A rock guy in his underwear. Oh, and they all star in their own comic published by Marvel Comics
Now that we’ve got that outta the way, let’s take a closer look at these bootlegs action figures one-by-one.
Crappy-Arm-Action Thing
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Okay. Is it just me, or does this guy appear naked at first glance? He has a belt, no genitalia, and darker legs. I guess that implies pants well enough.
He also has a “4″ sticker on his chest. Maybe he needed the 4 so we wouldn’t confuse him with any other of the Marvel character bootlegs.
Look at his funky blue eyes and blue mouth. Blue is a good color choice, I guess, since it’s the complement to orange, but it’s still kinda creepy. He’s glowing from the inside or something.
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So, this guy actually takes it up a notch (or is that down a notch?) when it comes to bootlegs. Whoever made this thing thought it’d be a good idea to make the arms connect by plastic a rod which is controlled by a small lever sticking out of the toy’s back. I guess it’s an “action feature.” Only thing is, it’s hard as hell to get it to move, and neither arm can move independently. Not only that, the pieces weren’t really made to fit together, so the rod is actually somehow forcing the toy’s shoulder/torso to pry open, making it even harder to maneuver the action feature. Kinda crummy.
Concave-Head Flack Thing
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All I can say is this bootleg ROCKS (pun intended). He’s not even really an “action figure.” He’s just a horribly, crappily, ridiculously, poorly-made mold-injected toy. He’s hollow, has no paint whatsoever, and flack all over… but at least he’s orange.
What does impress me though, is the fact that the sculpt is a cool, original take on the Thing. He’s a bit more cartoony with less of the “traditional” superhero proportions as seen in the previous bootleg.
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Look at this. Chunky, sloppy flack and a caved-in head. That’s some good bootleg craftsmanship
This Thing actually looks a bit like Michael Chiklis who played him in the movie. I don’t know if this photo captures it well, but in person, I thought I was looking at a bootleg Commish figure.
Rock Candy Thing
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Here we have little, cherry-flavored rocky candy Thing (I don’t mean that literally. He’s plastic and all. He just kind of reminded me of rock candy). He’s just a solid, shiny, translucent chunk. Reminds me of those little PVC figures like M.U.S.C.L.E. or Smurfs or whatever.
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One thing that caught my eye was the odd paint job. Look at his underpants. It almost looks like it was just applied minutes ago. Or it is still wet, because it isn’t chemically bonding with the plastic. Do you know what I’m talking about?
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Poor guy. His face barely fits on his head.
Claymation Thing
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Last, and definitely not least, is my favorite of the bunch. The most goofy, quirky, fun version of the Thing I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this guy in a low-budget claymation version of the Fantastic Four.
He’s just so fun. A big, round, chunky, loveable, bright, fully-poseable Thing figure. He even has hand-painted underwear.
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I loved the startled look on his face. He must’ve just seen bootleg Invisible Girl in her invisible clothes.
And what’s up with the gray lips? Is it gravy? Porridge? Whatever it is, he’s just devoured it.
